Professionals for Korea Times issued on May 12, 2010

Flowers Made of Coffee Filter

By Yoona Lim, Art Therapist

The trees begin to lighten the streets with their greenness, as the notorious winter in Chicago found its way to exit. The tulips that are waiting to bloom in people’s small gardens bring a bright smile to people passing by.

The Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of mood disorder, caused by the change of seasons. A long winter with its cold weather and the gloomy sky may affect people’s mood. I remember seeing a lot of them when I worked at a local hospital in 2008. According to the experts, the diagnoses for mood disorders increase during the unusually long winters; that range from a casual mood -swing to a Major Depression and/or a Bipolar Disorder. As the weather starts to warm up with the beautiful sunshine, I find my clients brightened up with a slightly more energy. Those who have to rely on a walking aid make an effort to walk around the hospital building and enjoy the sunshine. All of sudden, I feel convicted about resting my two legs that are always sitting down whenever I get a break. It is my job as an art therapist to stimulate and encourage motivation in my clients, like the sunshine does to them. I use various art activities to engage my clients. Many things could inspire the directives for these art activities. The one I am about to write about was inspired by a coffee filter that was handed to me by my colleague one day.

Coffee Filter-Flower Making

Materials: Coffee Filter, Watercolor paints, markers, Felt-covered wires, Scissors

The clients who come to my art-making workshop seem surprised to find coffee filters that are placed next to other art materials that are more familiar to them. There are always those who come with curiosity and others who are not willing to touch the art materials or who feel uncomfortable with art making. Therefore, the first step in leading an art-making workshop becomes welcoming everyone and creating a safe space for everyone that invites participation. In this space, the participants [clients] take a step-by-step approach towards art making, as they are encouraged by an art therapist and other peers. Soon, the space becomes filled by people, fascinated by the way watercolors dying the paper; and those who explore the different ways each art material respond to each other. As an art therapist, it is refreshing to witness such a transformation taken in the space. One participant who refused to hold a brush in the beginning is now waiting for his 4 coffee filters that he dyed with watercolor paints to dry. Another client who struggle with a lack of motivation and energy due to his depression remarks, “I never thought I could mix such a beautiful color!” as he explores with mixing watercolor paints. Yet, my eyes catch a participant diagnosed with the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). On his usual days, he has to place every object in his hands on a neatly order. However, in this creative space, he is willing to experiment with watercolor paints, which are considered as an art medium that is difficult to control. He appears to be more relaxed as if his tendency to control is thinned out with the watercolor paints in his hands. My heart becomes dyed with amazement as I witness these transformative moments. It is quite beautiful to be part of this creative process in which the one’s physical limits and pains become transformed into something really extraordinary and unique. Paints are dropping onto the paper and making marvelous marks. The hand that is holding a brush seems to be able to forget for a moment that it has been suffering from Alzheimer’s and palsy. I am reminded of the unique strength in each client. The coffee filters that are beautifully dyed and dried are then folded into a flower shape. The fabricated wires become a stem and the leaves are added to it. The group and I reach a decision about what to do with our flowers. We are displaying the flowers on the windows, so that the other people who walk around the hospital could enjoy them too. Public display of artwork that is created by individuals has therapeutic implications as it highlights the integration into a community and making contributions to one’s community. For the clients whose goals in therapy are oriented around developing social skills and integration, art-making and public display of artwork becomes an effective intervention.

Therapeutic Implications of Watercolor

The elderly population experiences a lack of motivation due to the weakening processing of the body that affects both physical and mental strength. In this case, the activities that do not require much energy and physical strength are more effective to engage the elderly clients. Watercolor painting that involves the process of diluting the paint with water and using brushes and water on the paper to express one’s emotions is a gentle and soothing activity. It can be inviting to the participants and encourage them to experiment with the medium. As it is evident in this article, selecting art materials and the activities that are appropriate for the participating client’s physical, mental and emotional circumstances is crucial for art therapists. There could also be numerous occasions in which art therapists’ planned activities or directives may need to change in the moment. Therefore, an open mind and observing eyes of art therapists that could see the client’s responses and find therapeutic implications are essential. Flexibility and creativity of an art therapist can create the interventions that are most helpful and meaningful to the participating clients.